


When There's Smoke

by bunnyangel, catching_paper_moons, chelecheese, destimushi, didon, forsimplicityssake, itsmylifekay, RavensCAT, syntheticsoul



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Boxed Mac and Cheese, Fire, I'm Your Buddie Discord round robin, M/M, disappointed bobby, this isn't crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-01-28 23:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21400315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyangel/pseuds/bunnyangel, https://archiveofourown.org/users/catching_paper_moons/pseuds/catching_paper_moons, https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelecheese/pseuds/chelecheese, https://archiveofourown.org/users/destimushi/pseuds/destimushi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/didon/pseuds/didon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/forsimplicityssake/pseuds/forsimplicityssake, https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmylifekay/pseuds/itsmylifekay, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavensCAT/pseuds/RavensCAT, https://archiveofourown.org/users/syntheticsoul/pseuds/syntheticsoul
Summary: Eddie is a lot of things, but a sharp cook he is not, and he rues the day when his hunger wins out his good senses and he decides to step into the kitchen at the 118.A Round Robin about that time Eddie burnt down the kitchen in his own fire station.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 87
Kudos: 432
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	1. by destimushi

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story born out of a tremendous amount of spitballing! We all loved the idea so much we decided to do a Round Robin to commiserate Eddie's not-so-good fortunes. There will be hilarity, and anything goes with this lot, so keep your eyes peeled! Tags will be updated as the story continues. 
> 
> What's a Round Robin you ask? A Round Robin is a story told by different authors. Each chapter will be written and posted by a new author, and our tentative posting schedule is every Monday.

In all honesty, Eddie’s just as shocked as the rest of the one-eighteen as he watches Chim and Hen spray down the kitchen with fire extinguishers. It was supposed to be a simple thing, so easy that even a child can do it, and yet here they are, with Eddie still holding the damn  _ box _ because he was reading the instructions.

Bobby comes running out of his office, his face red as he takes in the massacre that his precious kitchen has become. Buck’s shocked gasp echoes as he comes bounding up the stairs, and Eddie spins around just in time to see the rest of the guys rush upstairs, no doubt fueled by the need to find out where  _ that god awful smell _ came from. 

Chim waves the spout of the extinguisher across the counter, spewing white chemical foam every which way to cover the flames. Hen focuses her stream on the stove range, and between the two of them and a whole lot of foam, they manage to contain the fire that would have taken down the whole station. 

The irony of that isn’t lost on Eddie, and he wants the ground to split open and swallow him whole. Right about now. Because Bobby’s looking at him with eyes as wide as saucers, and his mouth is doing a damn good imitation of a goldfish. 

“What the hell happened?” Buck comes up behind him and bumps Eddie’s shoulder.

Hen plunks her exhausted extinguisher on the floor and snorts. “Ask lover boy there.” 

Buck glances between Eddie and the sooty mess that used to be the station’s state of the art kitchen and raises his eyebrows. “Well?”

Eddie jams the cardboard box into his back pocket and clears his throat. “...A fire happened.” 

Buck gives him a weird look and snorts. “No shit. But, like,  _ what _ happened?”

“Yeah, Diaz,” Chim pipes up and drops his extinguisher next to Hen’s. “ _ What _ exactly happened?”

Eddie’s face burns, and the heat’s rapidly spreading down his neck and sitting uncomfortably tight in his chest. Shit, how is he going to explain this? How is he ever going to live this one down? Not to mention, would he have to pay for the damages? Can he  _ afford _ to pay for a brand new kitchen with all the bells and whistles that Cap requested when they first renovated the place? 

Is that sirens he hear? Eddie runs to the railings looking into the engine bay. Fire trucks are parked outside the garage. Firefighters in gear who aren’t even from this department run up the stairs, extinguishers poised and ready. What the actual fuck? 

“Did someone call 9-1-1?” he asks, trying to deflect. 

Buck raises his hand sheepishly. “I saw smoke from the outside, okay? I wasn’t sure what was on fire.”

Great, now not only does his own unit know he’s a total incompetent fool in the kitchen, it’s going to spread to all the other units too. His career as a firefighter is officially over. How will he show his face ever again? 

Eddie groans and presses the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. All this because he was a bit peckish and wanted a goddamn snack. 

Bobby takes over and explains that the situation is under control, and the rest of one-eighteen stand behind Eddie until the other unit pulls out of the station. The solidarity ends as soon as they were alone, and the team turns on Eddie like a pack of starving piranhas. 

“Diaz, please explain how this happened,” Bobby asks as he crosses his arms over his chest, his voice calm. Too calm, and Eddie doesn’t miss the twitch in his jaw. 

He licks his lips, but his parched tongue doesn’t do much to moisten them. “You see, I got hungry, so I thought I’d make myself a snack.”

Bobby nods, and the rest of the unit nods with him. 

“I wanted something fast, you know, in case we get another call.” Eddie cups the back of his neck. “You know how it goes. And I just wanted to eat something while we had some down time.”

“Eddie, get on with it,” Hen says with a barely suppressed smirk.

Eddie sighs. “Okay, so I was making some mac and cheese and I don’t know how it happened. One minute, things were fine, and the next minute, everything’s on fire.”

Bobby’s eyes widen and the muscles in his forearms twitch. “Mac and cheese? Seriously?”

Eddie swallows and looks anywhere but at Bobby as he nods. 

“It was from scratch, at least?” Bobby’s voice is strained, as if he’s trying not to lose his ever loving shit right now.

Eddie shakes his head and pulls the purple cardboard box from his pocket. “No. Boxed.”

Bobby sucks in a sharp breath and scrubs a hand down his face. His expression would be comical if Eddie didn’t feel like such a jackass right now. “Boxed. You burned down my kitchen with KD.”

“Uh”—Eddie holds up the box—”Annie’s, actually…”

Bobby inhales sharply again and rocks onto the balls of his feet. Chim and Hen are shaking as they try not to burst out laughing, and even Buck, his Buck, his rock and partner in crime, is having a hard time schooling his face. 

Eddie’s really done fucked up this time. 

Bobby paces the length of the kitchen, stopping to inspect the mangled cupboard doors and blackened countertop and stove range, muttering to himself and shaking his head. He turns around, looks at Eddie with an indecipherable look in his eyes, then turns back to inspect the rest of the damages. 

Hen, Chim, and Buck chases the rest of the unit off, telling them that the show’s over and everyone needs to get their asses back to work. Eddie’s grateful, but he also knows he’ll never, ever live this down, and that Chim and Hen will spend the rest of their hopefully long lives making fun of Eddie for this. 

Buck, well, Eddie’s not sure how Buck will hold this over him, but he will, and Eddie’s not looking forward to that either. 

As soon as the rest of the unit leaves the kitchen, Bobby sinks into a chair with a heavy thud and drops his forehead into his palms. No one says anything, and the silence stretches until Eddie’s skin itches. 

Should he say something? What’s the procedure for almost burning down your own fire station as a firefighter? Does he get suspension? 

Bobby looks up from his place at the table and says the one thing that terrifies Eddie more than all of his speculations combined. “Someone call Sergeant Grant.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get serious at the 118.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like literally, because I can't write humor. Apologies in advance.
> 
> Many thanks to wonderbvlla for the beta, and destimushi and Jenny (from the block) for the encouragement.

In all honesty, Eddie doesn't know how or why these things keep happening to him. Not even a year after the last incident and he's sitting in another interrogation room. It sure as hell feels like one anyway, even if it's just Bobby's office. He's never set foot here in all his time at the 118. How the hell did it go from accidental kitchen fire to...whatever this is?

"Tell me again exactly what happened."

Athena Grant is an intimidating woman on even her friendliest days, and there's nothing remotely friendly about her at all right now as the _Sergeant_ sits across from him with his _Captain_ flanking her. He barely resists straightening his spine under the weight of her gaze and he stifles the urge to drop his own every time he meets Bobby's uncharacteristically grim one.

"I filled a pot of water and put it on the stove," he responds slowly, unsure what it was she really wanted to hear. "When it started to boil about ten minutes later, I added the pasta. I was about two feet away, checking my text messages and when I looked up again the kitchen was on fire." He grimaces. He still can't believe this is happening to him.

Her lips purse and she leans back in her chair to stare at him. "And you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."

"No. I was just making mac and cheese. It was an accident, I swear!" He leans forward and repeats firmly. "I _did not_ purposely set fire to the kitchen."

"We know that, Eddie." Bobby pauses. "But someone did."

Eddie blinks. "What?" He looks between the two of them, but there's no hint of a joke on either of their faces. "Wait, so it wasn't my cooking?" 

He doesn't know whether to be relieved or horrified about this.

"And don't think we won't be talking about that, Diaz," Bobby says with a flicker of a smile, "but you know, there's a very distinctive smell when insulation is burning. Someone tampered with the range. I can't be sure to what extent exactly just yet, but I can tell that much."

Eddie can only repeat himself somewhat stupidly. "What??" He can't quite wrap his mind around what Bobby is saying. That someone-- _someone from the team??_ \--tampered with the range and, and what? Tried to kill him? Them?

"Bobby, are you serious?" This was home. This was safety. This couldn't possibly be true.

"As a heartbeat, honey," Athena says. "We're lucky it was a small incident and that no one got hurt."

"Arson is sending someone our way within the hour, but in the meantime, we need you to think back." Bobby looks sad, for a moment. "Has anyone been acting strangely? Did you notice anyone lingering in the kitchen?"

Eddie hesitates. He hasn't noticed, is the thing. There's no need for him to be so on guard here, not around people he's trusted and continues to trust with his life time and time again. There definitely hasn't been anyone new or strange in the firehouse. The question makes something ache in Eddie's chest, because this is their team. This is family, and he refuses to believe that anyone here is capable of doing something like that.

"It could be a joke gone wrong," Bobby continues, "but we need to know, Eddie."

He looks between the two of them and shakes his head.

Over the next hour, he watches as one by one, his teammates enter Bobby's office with smiles on their faces and leave uncharacteristically grim.

Buck leaves Bobby's office in a barely contained flurry of hurt and outrage and heads straight for the gym. Eddie's hands twitch with the urge to go to him, to commiserate or to comfort, or to even just touch. He just doesn't know if it would be more for him or for Buck, or for the both of them--doesn't know if he'd be able to let go once he did, and so he doesn't.

The atmosphere in the firehouse slowly grows thick with uneasiness. He exchanges glances with those that have been interviewed, but as instructed, doesn't talk to them or answer questions from those that haven't.

When the investigator from Arson arrives over an hour later, everyone is tense and watchful.

When the alarm goes off just minutes after that, he's not sure whether he should be glad for the reprieve from the oppressiveness, or worried that someone on his team may not have his back.

The paranoia fades in the light of the multi-vehicle collision they're called to, the chaos that greets them shifting his priorities sharply. The back of a semi-truck is protruding from the front of a Whole Foods, and in its wake, four more vehicles in the parking lot that have obviously been impacted.

"Alright people, clear the area, please!" Bobby immediately heads for the semi, Chim and Hen hot on his heels, as the crowd starts to back away.

Eddie exchanges a glance and a nod with Buck as they move for the parking lot, checking from car to car for victims.

"Hey! Hey, stop him! He's the one responsible!" 

He looks up just in time to see a somewhat battered man run around the semi and he doesn't have even a hint of a doubt that Buck is right behind him as they move to intercept.

"Not bad, old man," Buck crows, pulling him off the ground once officers have taken the driver away. "You didn't break any bones right?"

"Don't make me break _your_ bones, Buck," he mock threatens as he returns the bright grin almost helplessly, momentarily distracted by the warmth of the hand in his before forcing himself to let go.

It's a light call, despite all the property damage. Eight non-critical injuries and no fatalities. A win in his book.

But the cheer fades when they pull back into the station.

The man from Arson stands waiting for them, and so too is Sergeant Grant.

"What do you think they found?" Buck asks anxiously, peering around the front seat.

Hen gives him a Look. "We're not supposed to talk about it, Buck."

"Maybe they decided it was Eddie's fault after all." Chim grins. "I mean, mac and cheese, who screws that up?"

He laughs along with them, somewhat glad the burning in his cheeks is hidden in the dim cab and despite the jolt of anxiety the thought gives him, because what if it really _was_ his fault?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The firefam reflect on the day's events

Buck would not have used the term small to describe his kitchen. While not a big chef, he had gotten used to cooking at the fire station with Bobby, he’d looked for one big enough to accommodate at least two people when apartment hunting a few months ago. Seeing his entire squad spread around his measly kitchen isle made him feel claustrophobic however. The idea that someone - anyone really - could want to hurt any of them was unfathomable. 

“And you’re sure it wasn’t just Eddie being a terrible cook?” Maddie asked while already knowing that it wasn’t the case from the grim looks on everybody’s face.

“His Tia did warn me to never let him in my kitchen.” Buck answered in a weak attempt to lighten the mood but even the offended look passing over Eddie’s face didn’t make up for the revolting taste the words left in his mouth.

The ensuing silence weighted more heavily on Buck’s shoulders than the firetruck ever did on his leg. This was his family, the only one he ever really had, and today someone had tried to kill one if not all of them. The thought made him sick and he suddenly found himself with the need to move, to do something, anything really. The blond suddenly went to grab a box which he emptied on his isle.

“I need to do something or I’ll go crazy.” Buck felt the need to justify as his team looked incredulously between the Pokemon puzzle and him. 

Hen was the first to move as she slowly started picking up corner pieces and separating them from the rest of the puzzle. Soon enough, all of them joined and the atmosphere changed from the tense silence to the easy banter that made them work so well together. 

A few hours - and puzzles - later and most of the squad had slowly trickled out of Buck’s apartment. Eventually, the only ones left were Buck and Eddie. The latter had decided to stay after witnessing the strange mood his partner was in all evening. To others, Buck may have seemed okay after the first puzzle, but Eddie knew better than that and a quick text to Carla confirmed that she would stay longer with Chris. The pair had migrated from the kitchen isle to Buck’s couch.

“You wanna talk about it?” Eddie inquired knowing full well that the answer would be no. Buck wasn’t exactly known for sharing his feelings, something that he couldn’t really blame him for as Eddie himself turned to street fighting before he actually tried counselling. 

“Can you at least tell me where you got those puzzles? I have a feeling Chris would love them.” Eddie added when Buck never actually answered his first question.

“Those are Chris’s actually. I got them for him so we could do them whenever he stayed at my place.” Buck replied after taking a gulp of his soda. He had switched from beers after the second puzzle not trusting himself to mix his emotions and alcohol. The sugar gave him courage however as he quickly added “I just can’t believe anyone would actually target us”.

“It wouldn’t exactly be the first time.” Eddie winced as he said the words knowing that it probably the answer Buck wasn’t looking for. He turned worried for his partner when he heard him wheeze, thinking that the blond might have started crying at the mention of the trauma.

“Don’t remind me.” Buck choked while trying to find his breath. His laughter was making his shoulder shake and his head fell backward. “I’m pretty sure that I can tell when it will rain because of my leg. That and Chim still claims that he got the worst injury out of all of us.”

“In his defense, he got a rebar through the head”, Eddie pointed out. This whole competition of who had the worst injury was a bit ridiculous in his mind, but who was he to argue if that’s how his colleagues tried to deal with suffering traumatic injuries while on the job.

“And I got a fire truck dropped on my leg. Who’s side are you on?” Buck retorted looking both amused and affronted. 

“No one’s, this whole competition between you two is absolutely ridiculous,'' gasped Eddie before quickly adding in a joking tone, “Anyway, Chris has you both beat”.

“That’s true, I bow to our king and emperor Chris.” Buck loudly announced before bowing. The blond firefighter miscalculated his movements however and ended up spilling soda all over his couch. Thankfully, the couch was dark so the sugary drink wouldn’t actually stain the fabric. 

Both men quickly moved to try and blot the soft drink out and Buck in desperate attempt that would later make him flashback to his college years bent down and starting aspiring the liquid directly from the tissue. He didn’t notice how close he was to his partner.

Eddie noticed though and the strange little slurping sound coming out of Buck made his imagination run wilder than it had in a long time.Blushing, he tried turning to one of the few techniques he had learned in his anger counselling and started counting in spanish in his head. When that obviously didn’t work, he stood up and quickly escaped to the kitchen to find a wet rag to clean up Buck’s little accident.

“Hey, is everything all right?” Buck worried, following his partner to the other room. It didn’t escape his notice that Eddie knew exactly where to find anything in his kitchen, having been in there a million times at least. When the other man didn’t answer, the blond moved and put instinctually his hand on his lower back making him jump.

“I.. uh.. I need to go. Carla probably wants to go home.” Eddie managed to let out, shocked at the warmth he felt spreading from the spot where Buck’s hand was still situated on his back. 

“You sure bud? You seem a bit red. Maybe those beers hit you more than you think?“ Buck may have not known what was happening, but he wasn’t about to let his best friend get on the road drunk. He loved both him and his kid too much to let Chris lose yet another parent.

“No, it’s getting late anyway and arsonist or not, you know Bobby will still be mad if one of us isn’t on time tomorrow.“ Eddie quickly let out, but he didn’t start moving for a couple more seconds, taking in the feeling of Buck’s hand that still hadn’t left his back. Part of him was terrified at what that need for contact with his partner meant and part of him wanted nothing more but seek more of it. Finally, he forced himself to start moving and instantly regretted it as he felt the absence of the limb and the comfort it gave him. He grabbed his jacket from the chair he had left it on earlier and crossed the small apartment as fast as he could. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow okay?“ Eddie asked after opening the door. He didn’t wait for an answer however as he fled from what felt like home for him for the first time in a very long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Return to Crackland

Walking into the station the next day, Eddie can’t help but feel nervous. Everything from the night before is still right there at the front of his mind. He can practically still feel Buck’s hand on the small of his back, warm and insistent and making him want things he can’t have. He’s almost relieved when he walks in and finds everyone huddled in the kitchen, Bobby staring at the ceiling like he’s asking for strength while everyone else looks varying degrees of frustrated. Eddie carefully avoids looking at Buck.

He’ll take the fallout from kitchen Armageddon if it means he doesn’t have to deal with his _feelings _first thing in the morning.

“What’s going on?” he asks, walking up next to Hen and taking another look around the kitchen. “Did the inspector find something?”

Chimney snorts. “Oh yeah, he found something alright.”

Eddie’s eyebrows lift. That doesn’t sound like the reaction of someone who’s discovered a teammate trying to burn down the firehouse.

“A whole family of something. A colony, if you will.” Chimney draws Eddie’s attention to the wall, where a few charred containers by the range have been pushed aside to reveal a small hole. “We’ve got _mice. _And they’ve already staged a full scale invasion.”

“The inspector found tunnels all throughout the firehouse,” Bobby adds. “And it looks like they chewed through the insulation in the kitchen.” It looks like the words are almost physically painful for him to get out.

Eddie blinks, isn’t sure why everyone is treating this like such terrible news. It’s not great, but it’s better than someone in the house getting accused of arson. “That’s—I mean, that’s a good thing though, right? No traitor in the station and we just get rid of the mice…”

Bobby looks back up at the ceiling and Chimney groans, Hen shaking her head beside him. Eddie’s eyes finally flick to Buck, slightly surprised to see him with his arms crossed defensively, face a mixture of determination and slight embarrassment. It’s a surprisingly good look for him.

Tearing his eyes away, Eddie turns back to the rest of the group. “We can’t get rid of the mice?”

Chimney shakes his head and gesture to Buck. “Cinderella over here won’t let us. Heclaims that the mice are just ‘being mice’ and that our job is to help things, not kill them.”

“Which is _true._” Buck adds, earning a sigh from Bobby.

Hen fixes him with a look. “Never mind they nearly burnt down the kitchen.”

At that, Buck smirks. “Technically, that’s still on Eddie. You weren’t here when we found out exactly _how _the fire got to the wall.”

Hen’s eyebrows lift and Buck’s grin gets even wider. Eddie wonders if it’s too late to cut and run.

“Turns out top chef Eddie Diaz left a cheese packet open and leaning against the burner. Our best guess is that a mouse got into it while he was looking away and left a little powder trail back to the wall. And the packet itself burned long enough for things around the burner to start catching on fire.”

Hen lets out a disbelieving laugh.

Chimney sighs. “Our lives have turned into a cartoon.”

“I still can’t believe this is all because of _boxed _mac and cheese,” Bobby says, sounding pained. “Why did you even have the packet open so early?”

Eddie crosses his arms and looks away, embarrassed. “You always say to have your ingredients prepped,” he mumbles, flushing when he hears Hen and Chimney start to laugh.

And that’s the sad thing. He really _had _been trying to do things right.

Now he’ll be lucky if Bobby lets him set foot in the kitchen ever again.

“Are we just going to forget the whole mouse situation?” Eddie asks, trying desperately to steer the conversation in a different direction. He’s going to be getting jokes for months,_years. _He doesn’t need it to start quite yet.

“Oh, we’ll deal with that situation,” Hen says, then cuts him a look. “But don’t think you’re getting out of this one. A _cheese packet, _Eddie.”

“It’s comedy gold,” Chimney agrees. “And if you have any ideas for getting Buck here on board with a little vermicide—”

“Not going to happen.”

Chimney lifts his hands then gestures at Buck. “Be my guest.”

Eddie’s eyes find Buck’s across the kitchen and he can’t help but melt a little inside at the stubborn look on the younger man’s face. Leave it to Buck to be so protective of a few mice. He’d be annoyed if that same softness wasn’t one of the main reasons Eddie had fallen for—_become friends _with him.

“Look,” Buck says. “Humans kill mice all the time for getting in their houses. So sometimes mice get into the walls and almost burn down a house.” He gestures to the hole in the wall. “It’s _life. _We should be glad it was a firehouse and not some civilian.”

“Civilian…” Bobby mutters and pinches the bridge of his nose, looking about five seconds from banging his head against the wall. “This isn’t a war, Buck. I really don’t think the mice are using my kitchen as a statement on the ethics of pest control.”

Buck crosses his arms again, clearly not convinced.

Chimney laughs and shakes his head. “I lied. A _cartoon _wouldn’t even be this funny_._”

“We could always trap them live,” Eddie suggests. “Release them somewhere else?”

He can already picture it, all the tactics they’d have to employ to catch them, Buck carefully overseeing the entire undertaking. It’d be a circus.

Hen snorts. “Or get a cat. Then it’d just be the circle of life.”

Eddie’s eyes flick to Buck, who just shrugs. “Whatever works. But we’re not just killing them for the sake of it.”

Hen glances over at Chimney and smirks, then calls to Buck. “You still have that crazy snake lady’s number? I’m sure she could help solve the problem.”

Buck flushes and Eddie goes on high alert, doesn’t like the way his stomach swoops and something that feels a little too much like jealousy starts to burn beneath his skin. He’s heard stories of Buck’s past…adventures. Somehow the idea of him getting back in touch with one of those flings leaves a bitter taste in the back of his mouth.

“No, no way. You are _not _calling her.” Chimney takes the words right out of his mouth. “We are not letting a snakein here. I don’t do snakes, remember?” He turns to Bobby. “Tell them no snakes.”

But Bobby just sighs, stands in the middle of his scorched kitchen and all their bickering and buries his head in his hands, looks a little like he wants to cry.

“Whatever it takes, Chim. Whatever it takes.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing on into CrackLand...

There’s a large discussion throughout the one-eighteen as to the final course of action regarding the mice. Buck not-so-secretly wants to bring a cat in just on the merit of having a pet in the firehouse and Hen is still favoring the snake woman despite Chim’s continued protests. And poor, sweet Eddie can feel his face ignite in a heated flush at the mere thought of one of Buck’s old flings coming in, not that he should have a reason to be jealous. Right? They’re all adults. They’ve all done… _ things_.

Bobby circles everyone up for a final tally and when Buck throws both his hands up at the mention of live trapping, Bobby smiles gingerly and nods. Live trapping it is. 

This is how Eddie finds himself on his hands and knees as he places a thin metal box just to the side of the crisped stove. He shifts the trap door in place and gives it a gentle push with his fingers to nudge it securely into position. He tilts his head over his shoulder to see Buck staring at him with a wide-eyed expression and a prickling heat flashes over Eddie’s neck and cheeks. Buck, for his own part, catches himself and coughs loudly to clear his throat. His eyes snap away as if he’s just been burned and Eddie spots a pretty crimson tinge to Buck’s face. Eddie only smiles to himself and pushes away from the floor.

“So,” Buck begins, either to ease the tension he just felt or to pass the time as he monitors the rest of the crew’s progress with the traps, “did I ever mention the story Eddie’s abuela told me?”

Hen snorts and Eddie chokes. Which story? When did Buck talk to his abuela? He was going to have a chat with that woman if it was the last thing he did.

Chimney’s head pops up from behind the kitchen island, a waggle in his brow. “Why no, I don’t think you did.” 

“Buck…” Eddie’s warning tone is low and deep. There are _ so many _stories his abula knows and Eddie’s terrified about which way this conversation is going to go.

Buck, still leaning back against the large dining table with his arms crossed over his chest, gives Eddie a sly wink before plunging in. Eddie feels like the wind has been knocked out of his lungs. The smirk, the wink, the way Buck’s muscles pull at the edges of his LAFD shirt as he flexes his shoulders. It’s too much at one time.

“Once upon a time, when Eddie was first taking care of Christopher on his own,” Buck begins, his voice taking on the tone of a wisened storyteller, “he tried to cook.”

Oh good lord, Eddie thinks. He’s stood up by the stove, his own hands going to his pockets, turning to face Buck squarely on as if to challenge him. 

Bobby, who is still trying to not tear up every time he discovers a new scorch mark on his beautiful kitchen appliances, lets out a stifled bark of laughter. 

“I’m betting it didn’t go so well,” Hen guesses and when Eddie throws an indignant look at her, she only shrugs. “Well… I mean, look around us.” Hen gestures to the kitchen and Eddie’s embarrassment is written over every inch of his body.

“Fair point,” he concedes. 

"_Anyways_,” Buck cuts back in, a little upset at being interrupted. “So, Eddie was preparing some kind of fancy dinner and, what did Abuela say… Christopher was in his little jumper or something? It doesn’t matter.” 

Buck has his face contorted in concentration as he tries to work through the story in a smooth narrative, clearly struggling to get to the end without laughing. It’s like he already knows the punchline and isn’t certain he can make it long enough to execute the joke properly. Buck’s toying with his lower lip, his nose scrunched up, and Eddie thinks it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen. 

“Buck,” Hen interrupts as she pinches the bridge of her nose. Her voice is patient, as if she’s speaking to a young child, “You better get to it before I go and find some antifreeze.”

Buck gasps, eyes narrowing. “You wouldn’t,” he hisses. Hen simply arches an eyebrow.

Eddie laughs at the exchange and he’s not even a little mad anymore that Buck is probably piling on more ammunition as if Eddie isn’t already going to be mocked for the next three months, minimum. 

“As I was saying…” Buck begins again, “Eddie and Christopher were at Abuela’s house and Eddie put something in the oven on some parchment paper—” oh shit, Eddie reels, he _does _remember this story— “but he didn’t remember to lower the oven racks before he put the pan in. I mean,” Buck snorts out, “how could you not consider the combination of paper against hot metal? You’re a _firefighter_ for christ’s sake.”

Eddie takes a step towards Buck as he cuts in, “I wasn’t one then! Plus, I was trying to balance the baking sheet _and _ keep Christopher from crying, okay? It was an honest mistake!”

Chimney and Hen share a knowing look before they both burst into peals of laughter, their bodies bumping into one another as they hold each other up. Bobby only sends his eyes upward as he lets out a deep, bone-tired sigh. It’s a sigh that feels like it’s been brewing for weeks.

“But that’s not even the best part!” Buck crows as he folds himself forward, his expression so open and full of joy that Eddie pauses, a wicked retort on the tip of his tongue. 

Hen is struggling hard, a hand on her stomach, as she gasps out, “What’s the best part?” 

Buck looks over Eddie’s shoulder at Hen and Chimney, the apples of his cheeks a rosy scarlet. He’s really, truly enjoying this. 

“Buck, don’t—” Eddie pleads, but he’s quickly cut off.

“The paper caught on fire and it set off the fire alarm! The LAFD had to show up! According to Abuela, the neighbors couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks!” It all comes out of Buck in a rushed shout and then he’s doubling over with laughter so free and loud that tears spring to his eyes. He can’t hold himself up anymore and he has to brace his forearms on his thighs, shoulders shaking. 

Eddie’s red, so red, and his mouth hangs open in shock. He looks around at his second family, so betrayed as he sees even Bobby is chuckling.

“It was an accident!” Eddie tries to defend himself, but his words come out more like a squeak and Chimney and Hen are falling over each other at the sound.

Buck, still giggling like a child, rights himself before walking over to Eddie and placing a hand on the curve of his shoulder. “Aw, man, I’m sorry, but it was such a good story! It sorta predicted the future, too. And Abuela, she told what happened after.” Buck’s eyes are bright and vibrantly blue, his smile so wide and genuine. Eddie can’t help but stare dumbfoundedly. 

“A-After?” he almost whispers. 

Buck leans in further, his nose mere inches away from Eddie’s. “The spray bottle,” he says simply and then laughter is bubbling out of him again and he has to pull away to lean against the kitchen island. 

Eddie’s hand comes up to his face as he tries to hide his horrified expression. How could he have forgotten about the weeks and weeks afterwards when his abuela chased him around the kitchen with a small spray bottle, sprtizing him whenever he got close to the oven? Christopher, even just as a young toddler, had gotten in on the fun, giggling as he chanted, “Bad Daddy.”

Eddie’s body stills and he looks over at Buck. Damn, Buck got him good.

Judging by Hen and Chimney’s current conversation—which has moved on to trying to console Bobby, who is truly exhausted by all of this—Eddie doesn’t think they’ve heard that last comment, so at least he has that going for him. But Buck is sauntering around looking like the king of the firehouse and Eddie has a strong urge to wipe that smirk from his face. 

Even as everyone seems to settle back into place with one another, it doesn’t change the fact that on the next shift, after they’ve corralled most of the mice with plans to release them at a park a few blocks away, there’s an innocent looking spray bottle sitting proudly on the edge of the singed stovetop. 


	6. The Spray Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mists awayyyy

Of course Eddie is the one put in charge of letting out the mice. Buck offers to join him, pretending like he is doing Eddie a favour but they all know he wants to be the one to let the little creatures go. They go to a nearby park and Eddie hands the cages to Buck, watching him get down on his knees. He tries his best not to look at Buck’s ass but he only has so much self control. As Buck prepares to let the mice out of their cages, Eddie can hear Buck speak to them in quiet tones. Eddie’s attention drifts to Buck’s face, watching as he tells each mouse how good they are and that they are going to be okay. He tells them how good they were and that they would be okay. Eddie can’t fight the fond smile that breaks out on his face. Dios, Buck is a man with such a pure heart and Eddie doesn’t know how he got so lucky with finding a best friend like him.

Once they get back to the station, Eddie goes towards the kitchen to grab himself some coffee. Before he can even grab a mug he feels a mist of cold water on his face.

“What the fuck?!” he yells, flinching in shock. He turns to see Buck standing there with a spray bottle in his hand. “Buck!”

“Outta the kitchen, mister,” Buck says waving the bottle.

“Buck, I’m literally just getting coffee,” Eddie points out.

Buck shakes his head again, “Nope, out, unless you want to give Cap another heart attack.” Buck uses his thumb to point to Bobby, who is talking animatedly with the renovators.

Eddie looks at him and then back at Buck with a raised eyebrow, “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“But my coffee…”

“I’ll get you your coffee, now shoo.” Buck ushers him out of the kitchen and towards the couch. Eddie goes with a huff.

*

The spray bottle becomes a regular occurrence. Every time Eddie gets close to the kitchen he gets misted with cold water. First it was only Buck, then it was Chimney, then Hen and then slowly everyone at the station. Whoever was nearby when Eddie attempted to go to the kitchen would spritz him.

The renovations with the kitchen have finally started and the team can’t wait for them to be finished. They are sick of eating takeout. They are tired of watching Bobby hover around the renovators, nitpicking everything they do. They're worried the renovators will snap and leave the job halfway.

*

Finally, after three weeks, Cap’s kitchen is done and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. They make sure to keep Eddie away and Eddie’s not complaining. He’d rather not have a repeat situation; he’s not sure Bobby would be able to quite hold himself back this time. He’d rather not leave Christopher without a father. Buck’s face flashes before his eyes and he shakes away the thought.

*

About a week later, Eddie finishes his work in the bay and heads upstairs to take a break while the others finish up. Bobby working in the kitchen and Eddie gives him a nod before collapsing on the couch. He unlocks his phone and opens up Instagram, double tapping a picture of Buck sleeping with Christopher on his chest. Smiling softly, he texts Maddie asking her to send the picture to him. She sends it, immediately followed by a row of smirk emojis. Before he can read into them Bobby calls him over from the kitchen.

“Eddie!”

Eddie gets up and heads over to Bobby, hovering at the invisible line between the kitchen and lounge area.

“Yeah, Cap?”

“You wanna give me a hand?” he asks.

Eddie raises his eyebrows in surprise, “You want...  _ me _ to help you?”

Bobby looks at him, “Yeah? That a problem?”

“No… no problem, I just thought you wouldn’t want me anywhere near your kitchen after last time.”

Bobby chuckles. “It was an accident Eddie, and besides, I would feel a lot better knowing you knew how to cook without burning your own house down.”

Eddie flushes.

“C’mon, I’ll be supervising you.”

Eddie nods with a soft smile, stepping up beside Bobby. “Alright, what do you want me to do?”

“You think you can cut some vegetables without burning the place down?” Bobby jokes.

“Ha ha very funny,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes.

Bobby laughs as he slides the board over to him.

Eddie washes his hands and picks up the knife and starts chopping.

“You know Buck wasn’t always a great cook either,” Bobby says. Eddie glances at him. “I taught him most of what he knows, I can teach you too if you’d like?” Bobby looks at him.

Eddie smiles, “Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks Bobby.”

“No problem, kiddo. Maybe one day when you’re good enough, you can ask Buck out on a date and make him dinner,” Bobby says, not thinking about what he’s saying.

Eddie’s hand slips at Bobby’s words and he yelps in pain as he feels the knife cut through his finger.

Bobby looks at him in alarm but before he can ask if he’s okay, he hears Buck.

“Eddie!” He skips the last two steps and rushes over to him. He grabs his hand and pulls him over to the sink, rinsing out the cut so he can take a better look. “You okay?” he asks.

Eddie doesn’t answer, Bobby’s words running through his mind, ‘ _ ask Buck out on a date’ _ .

“Eddie, man, you gotta be more careful! You’re lucky you don’t need stitches,” Buck says. He grabs a clean cloth and wraps Eddie’s finger with it.

Eddie can’t help but stare at him while Buck scolds him for not being more careful.

Date him? Does he want to date Buck? He feels his heart flip when he realizes the answer is,  _ yes _ .

“Eddie… Eddie!” Buck yells. His eyes fill with concern when Eddie doesn’t answer.

Eddie shakes himself out of it. “Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

Buck sighs. “Did you even hear a word I said to you?”

Eddie smiles at him sheepishly.

“You’re lucky I love you…”

Eddie’s eyes widen and sees a similar look of panic on Buck’s face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a talk.

The alarm blares, and Eddie's never been more grateful for it. He moves first, racing to the locker room to gear up. He hears footsteps behind him, Buck not even hesitating to follow. It brings a sense of peace to Eddie; regardless of what happens between them, Eddie knows that Buck will have his back, like he has Buck's. It's comforting. The team is in the truck within minutes and they're rolling out to whatever mayhem awaits them. 

Eddie's realisation that he does want to date Buck will have to wait until later. 

* * *

The trucks pull in just before the shift changeover. Like most days for the LAFD, one call led to another, and another, and another, leaving the 118 little time to rest. But it's been a good day, Eddie thinks as he's changing out of his uniform. Good, but long - he's eager to get home to Christopher and his bed.

He's so eager, in fact, that he completely misses Buck calling out his name as he leaves the station. The younger man's face falls for a split second before shifting into one of determination. Buck knows Eddie's tired, and has other things on his mind; he's tired, too, and can't wait to collapse onto his couch because he really can't be fucked climbing his stairs. But after everything that happened with the lawsuit, he's done with not talking. Buck doesn't want things left unsaid anymore. The moment in the kitchen had been on his mind all day, and he's been trying to think of a way to approach Eddie about it. 

A clanging noise catches his attention. He turns towards the kitchen, where Bobby is pottering around, cleaning it up after numerous failed attempts to use it. That's when the idea strikes. Buck smiles to himself. He's always been fascinated by the twenty-four hour grocery near his place, and now he has an excuse to visit. 

* * *

Christopher's laugh wakes Eddie early in the morning. It's one of his favourite ways to wake up. However, it's usually accompanied by an enthusiastic eight year old climbing onto his bed. But today, instead of his son crawling over him, his laughter is distant, coming from another room. There's also a muffled clanging sound, just on this side of annoying. There's only one explanation for it, and Eddie can't help the smile that forms. It's like Bobby's comment from last night had turned something on in Eddie, something he didn't even know was possible, or even within reach. And he could easily spend the rest of his morning just laying there, thinking about Buck. But his best friend and his son are a force to be reckoned with, especially when hungry. So, he gets up and foregoes his morning shower, making his way to join his boys. 

Christopher sees Eddie first, stepping down off his footstool and moving as fast as he could, barreling into Eddie's legs. Eddie laughs as he picks Christopher up, adjusting him so that he's comfortable. The commotion grabs Buck's attention. He looks up, flashing a warm smile at the pair. Buck's eyes darken for a moment, glancing down his body before meeting Eddie's gaze. The confidence is a complete 180 from the incident in the kitchen that it leaves the older man off-kilter. He feels warm all over, unable to look away. Buck licks his lips, cocky and sure of himself, and the words _I could take you _start to echo in his mind. Eddie barely manages to hold back his gasp. 

Thankfully, Christopher starts to squirm, and the spell is broken. Eddie apologises as he sets Christopher down. Buck's back to smiling at him, warm and bright. Eddie isn't sure he manages to catch his breath. 

"I know you're an early bird, Buckley, but this is ridiculous, even for you."

"Because we're going to need as much time as possible. Get a shirt on, Diaz. I'm teaching you how to cook."

* * *

Breakfast was an outstanding success. Eggs were versatile - and mostly easy - and Eddie was left feeling pretty confident. Christopher had been his biggest cheerleading, cheering loudly when the food was served, and complimenting the meal when everyone had eaten. 

But now Christopher was in the living room colouring, and Eddie's confidence had given way to tension. Buck is practically plastered to his back as the younger man gives directions, reassuring that making soup is easier than making eggs. Eddie doesn't really believe him, but that could just be he's finding it hard to concentrate with Buck's breath against his ear. Somehow, through some miracle, Eddie manages to complete the recipe Buck's been trying to teach. With a sigh of relief, he places the pan on the stovetop while Buck lowers the heat. 

"Now we just let it simmer. You should be good at it; we've been doing it for months."

Eddie opens his mouth only to close it again immediately. Buck smirks, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing at his terrible line. 

"Seriously? A bad food metaphor? You said earlier that you wanted to talk. This is how you go about it?"

"Maybe."

"You're ridiculous."

But Eddie can't deny that it has the impact Buck wanted. He's smiling and he's ready to open up, even if he is still buzzing from the close contact. 

"So, yesterday," Buck begins, "in the kitchen. When I said what I said."

There's hesitation in Buck's voice. He meant it when he was done with holding things back and not talking, but that doesn't mean the prospect suddenly became less terrifying. He stalls, his eyes bouncing around Eddie's figure. Eddie, for his part, uncrossed his arms. It's something Frank had told him to try, use it as a way to open himself up, encourage people to talk. Buck senses the change and feels like he can speak again. 

"It was meant to be just as friends, y'know. Because I do. You're my best friend, Eddie, and it was meant to be some playful banter. And then I saw your face, and I realised as soon as I said those words, I meant them. I meant them in every way possible."

"Buck."

"And I get it, yeah? If you just wanna stay friends, that's fine by me! I mean, yeah, now that I know what I feel, I definitely checked you out this morning..."

"Buck."

"But it doesn't have to change anything? Okay, because I'd rather have you as my best friend than nothing at all and..."

"_Evan._"

The use of his first name short circuits Buck's brain. He drags his gaze up from the floor. Eddie looks smug at the response, and somewhere deep down, Buck knows that's going to mean trouble. But for know, Eddie wants his attention, so that's exactly what Buck gives him.

"Do you want to know why I cut my finger yesterday? It's because Bobby suggested I ask you out on a date once I learned to cook. And it wasn't until that moment that I realised that that was something I wanted. I wanted you."

"You cut yourself because of, what, gay panic?"

"Bi panic, thank you. And I've changed my mind. I don't want you anymore."

"Eddie, no, c'mon Eddie," Buck says, his voice this side of desperate. It's sounds good, and Eddie wonders absentmindedly how he can make Buck sound like that again. Buck steps into his personal space, wrapping fingers around his waist, crowding Eddie against the counter. 

"What if I said I wanted you too?"

Eddie wraps his arms around Buck's neck, his only response a smirk. The tension from before returns hotter and heavier than ever, and Eddie is caught staring at Buck's blue eyes, darkened by something Eddie is familiar with. Their faces are mere inches apart, with Buck's eyes fluttering closed. Eddie moves in to close the distance. 

The smoke alarm starts to blare.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The immediate aftermath of Eddie setting the kitchen on fire YET again.

The smoke is thick, curling around the small kitchen, tendrils of dark gray crawling up the wall. The alarm is turned off, but by who, Eddie couldn’t tell you. Was the fire department here? Where did Buck and Christopher go?  _ Shit, Christopher.  _ Eddie moves slowly, his body stuck in place as he watches his kitchen be consumed by fire and smoke until the sound of a fire extinguisher jolts him back into reality.

“Eddie, seriously,” Buck is saying, and Eddie can hear Christopher giggling from the living room.  _ Christopher, holy shit.  _ “How did you manage it this time? I was helping!” Buck frowns, checking the stove top. “It was only on 2. How could this have happened… “ Buck putters around, mumbling as he inspects everything, and Eddie leans against the counter, moment effectively broken. He shakes his head.

“Are you guys okay?” Christopher calls from the doorway. He leans against it, smile still etched on his face, and Eddie crouches down in front of him, brushing his hair from his forehead.

“We’re fine, are you?” Christopher nods, his hair flopping back in his face. “Do you need a haircut soon?” 

Christopher giggles again. “Probably.” He turns to leave, ambling away as fast as he can.. “I’m going back to play now.”

“Okay!” Eddie calls out after him, but a Christopher on a mission is a Christopher you don’t want to mess with. Eddie takes a deep breath, turning back toward Buck, who’s still meddling with the stove top. “I really am terrible at cooking, huh?” Eddie says, light and breezy to diffuse whatever tension has settled in Buck’s shoulders, but if Buck hears him, he doesn’t respond, opting instead to pull the temperature knobs out of the stove, and Eddie sputters. “Hey, Buck!”

“No, it’s just…” He trails off, peering at the inside of Eddie’s stove. “Was this here when you moved in?”

“You’re really this concerned about my stove?” Eddie steps closer, placing his hands on Buck’s shoulders. “Or are you distracting yourself from…” Eddie trails off with a vague hand gesture. Buck furrows his brows.

“Distracting myself?”

“We… almost kissed.” Eddie’s hands run down Buck’s arms, and he feels Buck shiver. He smiles, small and timid. “Did you forget?”

Buck blows a raspberry in his direction, and Eddie laughs. “I didn’t forget,” Buck says. He tilts his head up, expression almost unreadable. Eddie finds that worrying; Buck has always been easy to read. Buck blinks. “I just. I want to make sure we do this right.” Buck opens his mouth as if he’s going to speak more, but he stops himself.

Eddie looks at him; the curve of his jawline, the slope of his nose, the way his hair is sticking up a little bit after the fiasco that was setting the fire alarm off  _ again,  _ and Eddie thinks  _ yeah, maybe this is what love is.  _

“We will,” Eddie finds himself saying. Buck startles, looking up. “We  _ will  _ do this right. It’s you and me.”

Buck huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “But I’ll do all the cooking, huh?”

Eddie frowns. “It’s not that terrible, is it?” He chances a look around his kitchen; the singed countertop says otherwise, and Buck snorts. Eddie sighs. “Okay, maybe you will have to do all of the cooking. Though I could make toast?”

“No,” Buck says, stepping closer. “I don’t want you to. You set your kitchen on fire making soup.” The comment stings, but Buck’s grin soothes it quickly. “It’s fine. I’d love to do all the cooking.”

“Chris and I survived this far, right?” Buck shakes his head, a laugh overtaking his body. “Come on.”

Buck laughs harder, and then surges forward, pressing his lips to Eddie’s. Eddie’s first thought is that his lips are soft; his second is that he could kiss Buck forever, he thinks. Buck pulls away to type something out on his phone, and Eddie whines, leaning back in.

“Slow down,” Buck says, and Eddie frowns. “Gotta tell Bobby something.”

Eddie’s phone pings a few minutes later, and when he looks down, his whole body flushes.

“You told Bobby I’m never allowed to cook in the firehouse kitchen again?!”


	9. Chapter 9

There’s now a spray bottle in the kitchen at home as well as the kitchen at the firehouse. 

Eddie is only allowed in the firehouse kitchen when Bobby specifically asks for his help. Bobby mostly ignored Buck’s message about never letting Eddie set foot in the kitchen because, as Bobby has put it many times with a knowing look, “Buck was too distracted to properly teach”. 

For the most part, things at the fire house are pretty normal. The kitchen is fixed, which means plenty of home cooked family style meals, and the team teases Eddie much less about setting fire to the kitchen. 

Although that might just be because they’re too busy teasing Buck & Eddie for dating. 

At first it was embarrassing, a surefire way to make the seemingly stoic Eddie Diaz blush bright pink and stutter through his words, but honestly? The teasing is just annoying now, and a bit tiring. 

Sometimes, when Buck can tell it’s getting to Eddie, he’ll do something stupid on purpose. Like tripping up the stairs, or spraying himself with the fire extinguisher instead of the intended target, and one time he even mispronounced something so hilariously Hen & Chim spent a whole WEEK teasing Buck about it.

Eddie knows though, that Buck does all that stuff on purpose, and his heart skips a beat knowing Buck takes the heat for  _him_.  Buck is used to being the punchline of a joke, he thrives off the attention, but Eddie prefers to be a little more private, especially in his relationships.

_ What’s so interesting about two people in love?  _ Eddie thinks. 

For a second that thought startles him, but then a small smile spreads across his face slowly. 

Love. He’s definitely in love with Evan Buckley. And it’s the been the best kind of unexpected.

Eddie, for one, was extremely surprised about everything that happened: the realization of his own feelings, Buck’s declaration of love, the kitchen fire/first kiss, the new relationship that followed. Besides Buck & Eddie however? Not a single shred of surprise had come from anyone else. 

Once, exasperated at everyone’s knowing smiles, he asked Hen why nobody else was surprised by their news. Hen simply smiled and said: 

“You know how the saying goes: ‘when there’s smoke, there’s fire’”

Eddie has thought a lot about that recently, and where he and Buck are concerned, there’s definitely a fire. 

This fire, unlike the others, is no accident, and is also not one Eddie ever hopes to put out. In fact, he’d like to toss a few things in and let them burn. His insecurities, his doubts, his distrust, his past, his loneliness; he’ll happily toss them all in and watch them burn under the warmth of Buck’s smile. 

He’s in love - and by the way Buck kisses him when Eddie says that to him - he’s pretty sure he’s loved back, and isn’t that just the best damn thing to have ever come from a box of Mac ‘n Cheese? 

**Author's Note:**

> We love feedback, kudos, and comments, but we also love more Buddie shippers so come join us over on [Discord](https://discord.gg/QBgJPg3)!!


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